Sound Advice on Hearing Aids
Great advice below from the Federal Trade Commision Website:
Sound Advice on Hearing Aids
More than 35 million Americans suffer from some degree of hearing loss. If you’re one of them, you may be shopping for an assistive device. Before you buy any product to enhance your hearing, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says it’s important to understand the various types of hearing loss, the differences between a hearing aid and a personal sound amplification device, and what to consider when you’re shopping so you get the product that’s most appropriate for your particular kind of hearing loss.
What are the common types of hearing loss? Three types of hearing loss are the most common:
- Conductive hearing loss, which involves the outer ear, the middle ear, or both. It usually results from a blockage from earwax, fluid in the middle ear, or a punctured eardrum. Conductive hearing loss often can be corrected surgically.
- Sensorineural – or “nerve” – hearing loss, which involves damage to the inner ear. It can be caused by disease, illness, age, injury from exposure to noise or certain medicines, or a genetic disorder. Usually, sensorineural hearing loss can’t be repaired surgically, but it can be corrected with a hearing aid.
- Mixed hearing loss, which is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. Only a small portion of adult hearing problems, like ear infections and middle ear diseases, are medically or surgically treatable. If the hearing loss can’t be treated medically or surgically, a hearing aid may be beneficial.
Sound Advice: If you think you are losing your hearing, see your doctor. You may be referred to a health care professional who specializes in ear health and hearing loss.